The Life of Sir Thomas More/Appendix 4
No. IV.
Sir Thomas More's Letter to the King.[1]
It may like your Highnes to cal to your gracious remembrance, that at such time as of the great weighty rome and office of your chaunceller (with which so farre aboue my incrites or qualities able and mete therfore, your High lies had of your incomparable goodnes honored and exaltyd me) ye were so good and gracious vnto me, as at my pore humble sute to discharge and disburden me, giuing me licens with your gracious fauour to bestow the residue of my life to come, about the prouision for my soule in the seruice of God, and to be your bedesman and pray for you, it plesed your Highnes ferther to saye vnto me, that for the seruice which I before had done you (which it than liked your goodnes far aboue my deseruing to commend) that in any sute that I should after haue to your Grace, that either should concerne mine honour, (the word it liked your Highnes to vse vnto me) or that shold perteine vnto my protite, I should finde your Highnes good and gracious lorde vnto me. So is it now gracious Souerain the worldly honour is the thing whereof I haue resigned both the possession and the desire, in the resignacion of your most honorable office. And worldly profite I trust experiens proueth, and daily more and more shal proue that I neuer was very gredy thereon. But now is my most humble sute vnto your excellent Highnes, to beseche the same somwhat to tender my pore honesty: howbeit principally, that of your accustomed goodnes, no sinister informacion moue your noble Grace to haue any more distrust of my troth and deuocion toward you, than I haue or shal during my life geue cause. For in this matter of the nunne of Canterbury, I haue vnto your trusty counseller maister Thomas Cromwel by my writing as plainly declared the trouth, as I possible can. Which my declaraeion, of his duti toward your Grace, and his goodnes toward me, he hath I understand declared vnto your Grace. In any part of al which my dealing whither any other man may peradventure put any doubt or moue any scruple of suspicion, that can I neither tell, nor lieth in my hand to let. But vnto my self, it is not possible any part of my said demeanure to seme euil, the very clerenesse of mine own conscience knoweth in all the matter my mind and entent so good. Wherfore, most gracious Soueraine, I neither wil, nor yet can wel become me, with your Highnes to reson or argue the matter, but in my most humble maner prostrate at your gracious fete, I only beseche your Grace, with your owne highe prudence and your accustomed goodnes, consider and way the matter. And if that in your so doing, your owne verteous minde shal giueyou, that notwithstanding the manifold and excellent goodnes that your gracious Highnes hath by so many maner wayes used vnto me, I were a wretche of such a monstruouse ingratitude, as coulde with anye of them all, or any other person liuing, digresse from my bounden dutye of allegeans toward your good Grace, than desire I no ferther fauour at your graciouse hand, than the losse of all that euer I may lese, goodes, landes, liberty, and finally my lyfe with all; wherof the keping of any part vnto my self, could neuer do me peniworth of pleasuse, but only should my comfort be, that after my short life and your long (which with continnual prosperite to Godde's pleasure our Lord of his mercy send you) I shold ones mete your Grace againe in heauen, and there be mery with you: where amonge mine other pleasures this shoulde yet be one, that your Grace shold surely se there than, that howsoeuer you take me, I am your true bedeman now, and euer haue ben, and wil be til I die, howsoeuer your pleasure be to do by me. Howbeit, if in the considering of my cause, your high wisdome, and gracious goodnes, perceue (as I verily trust in God you shall) that I none otherwise haue demeaned my self, than well may stande with my bounden duty of faithfulnes toward your royal majesty, than in my most humble wise, I besech your most noble Grace, that the knowledge of your true gracious perswasion in that behalfe, mave releue the torment of my present heauines conceued of the dread and feare (by that I here such a greuous bill put by your lerned counsaile into your high court of parlement against me,) lest your Grace might by some sinister informacion, be moued any thynge to thinke the contrary. Which if your Highnes do not, as I trust in God and your gret goodnes (the matter by your own high prudence examined and considered,) ye wil not, than in my most humble manner, I beseche your Highnes ferther, (albeit that in respect of my former request this other thing is very si; ight) yet sith your Highnes hath here before of your mere abundant goodnes heped and accumilate vpon me (tho I was therto farre unworthy) from time to time both worship and great honour to: sith I now haue left al such thinges, and nothing seke or desire, but the life to come, and pray for your Grace the while, it may like your Highness Of your accustomed benignite, somwhat to tender my pore honesty, and neuer suffer (by the meane of such a byll put forth against me) anye man take occasion hereafter against the troth to slander me: which should yet by the peryll of their owne soules do themself more hurt then me: which shal I trust settle my harte with your gracious fauour, to depende vpon the comfort of the trouth and hope of heauen, and not vpon the fallible oppinion, or sone spoken woordes of light and sone changeable people. And thus most dradde and most dere soueraine Lord, I beseche the blessed Trinite, preserue your most noble Grace both body and soule, and all that are your well willers, and amende al the contrarye: amonge whome, if euer I be or ever have bene one, than praye I God that he maye with my open shame and destructcion declare it.
- ↑ in February or March, 1533-4.